Healing Hearts, Changing Nations

In 1994 Rwanda experienced a horrific genocide; a dark event which has been woven into the identity of the nation. But out of the darkness, light and hope have emerged. Individuals have risen above their trauma to become peace practitioners in their communities. Their stories of pain and loss have become testimonies of healing and hope; they have become voices of reconciliation and mediators of truth and justice.

After attending the Healing the Wounds of Ethnic Conflict (HWEC) workshop, thousands of lives have been transformed, communities have been changed and churches have taken steps towards becoming agents of healing and reconciliation. With our changed hearts and years of experience working in many different countries, we feel called to share with other nations who have gone through conflict the lessons we have learned which are bringing about significant healing and change in lives and communities. Up to now, participants from 19 different countries from all over the world have attended and benefitted from this school.

The main teachers will be Dr Rhiannon Lloyd, a former medical doctor and psychiatrist from Wales, who founded the HWEC workshop, Pastor Joseph Nyamutera, director of Rabagirana Ministries, who lived through the heat of the genocide, and Pastor George de Vuyst, a missionary who has served over 20 years in Ukraine and graduate of the 2015 International School of Reconciliation in Kigali, Rwanda.

Apart from your travel costs to Kyiv, Ukraine, the all-inclusive cost for the full school is $150US ($75US for HWEC only). This covers instruction, materials, an excursion and 12 days of room and full board at the “Smеna” camp 40 km outside of Kyiv. The 11-day course will be bilingual (English and Russian). The varied and creative workshop Healing the Wounds of Ethnic Conflict (HWEC) includes interactive teaching on God’s character; Jesus as our pain bearer; the power of forgiveness and repentance, the role of the church, and a healed identity. There are also practical and group activities. After experiencing the workshop, participants will be trained to conduct their own workshop.

What past participants have said ....

“I recommend this School because it helped me to embrace my own ethnicity and to celebrate the diversities in cultures in South Africa. The course is not only theoretical but it also equipped me with practical tools to equip others to minister cross culturally. The fellowship with different cultures was part of my personal transformation. We had the opportunity to apply what we had learnt and this gave me confidence to use the HWEC workshop back in my own country. I witnessed wonderful reconciliation and healing when I presented the workshop in South Africa.” South Africa

"After 20 years serving the Lord, I attended the School of Reconciliation in Kigali in 2012. It was a great turning point in my life: God healed my deep wounds and I found HOPE for my marriage and family, the church and my country after going through war. Since then, I’ve devoted my time for this ministry with the teams that we trained here in Ivory Coast and I testify to God’s healing and salvation every day in the workshops. I strongly recommend to you this School of Reconciliation!” Ivory Coast

“I recommend all to attend this School because after attending this valuable training I experienced a great change. I learned that before you start healing others you should be healed first and experience God's touch on you. I am blessed and being blessed is sharing God’s peace with others. I want to become a peace giver to this dark world.” India “The school gave me a very powerful and workable Christian framework from which healing, forgiveness, repentance, and reconciliation are all possible, and it provides real hope for transformation of this broken and suffering world. On a personal level, ISOR gave me words, thoughts, and Biblical references from which I can speak about the hope that is within me to reach out to the people and works that God has placed in my path.” Hungary

“The experience was much deeper and richer than I ever imagined it would be. I received a precious tool for carrying out God’s ministry of reconciliation in my context. ISOR equipped me to be an agent of reconciliation at a level I would not have been able to achieve on my own, and with the equipment necessary to make a great impact on the situation where I am serving.”

This course is running in the Ukraine in May - see below for more details.

International School of Reconciliation, UKRAINE May 22 – June 1, 2017: Arrival May 21, Departure June 2 May 22 – 27, 2017: If only attending the Healing the Wounds of Ethnic Conflict Workshop Hosted in partnership Healing the Nations (www.healingthenations.co.uk) and Christian Reformed World Missions (www.crwm.org) in partnership with Rabagirana Ministries” (www.rabagirana.org)

Ukraine FOR AN APPLICATION FORM and MORE DETAILS, PLEASE EMAIL Pastor George de Vuyst at gdevuyst@crcna.org